Turkey, whole, meat only, raw

Whole turkey meat, taken from both breast and leg together rather than a single cut, is most familiar roasted whole for a holiday table, but it also works cut into cutlets for a quick saute, ground for burgers and meatballs, or braised in pieces for a stew. The combination of white and dark meat gives a milder flavor than an all-dark preparation and a moister result than breast meat alone, since the leg meat bastes the leaner breast from within during a whole roast. Brining or salting the bird ahead of time is a common step for a whole roast, since the lean breast meat can dry out over a long roasting time otherwise.

Keep raw turkey refrigerated and cook it within a day or two, or freeze it, and always cook it to a safe internal temperature given its size and the mix of light and dark meat. At 115 calories and 22.6 g of protein per 100 g, with protein at 45% DV, it's a lean protein to build a roast or ground-meat dish around, especially since it carries virtually no carbohydrate or sugar of its own. Leftover roasted meat also shreds easily into sandwiches, soups, and casseroles over the following days.